Dana Altman had a difficult task on his hands this offseason as he looks to return to the NCAA Tournament next season. The Ducks were underwhelming this season, and as other schools continue to pour a ton of money into their rosters, Oregon lost Kwame Evans Jr and Jackson Shelstad to the Transfer Portal.
The coaching staff had a clear strategy, adding high-upside former blue-chip recruits who haven't put it all together, along with proven players from lower levels, hoping to tie everything together with the roster. While the framework of the roster is set, it was notable that Dana Altman and his staff left a few spots on the roster open.
Latest court ruling could bring Takai Simpkins back to Eugene
This offseason, college sports have been in limbo as the latest eligibility rules changes allowed for players to spend 5 seasons in college, eliminating redshirts and hopefully lawsuits down the line. The change has led to players from the 2022 recruiting class seeking injunctions against the NCAA, as they would've been eligible under these new rules if the decision was made earlier.
On Friday Night, college sports were sent into a frenzy when Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a preliminary injunction that requires the NCAA to grant every athlete from the Class of 2022 an injunction.
BREAKING: Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado has granted a class-wide preliminary injunction that requires the NCAA to declare eligible *all* HS class of 2022 athletes who exhausted four seasons of eligibility this spring.
— Sam C. Ehrlich (@samcehrlich) July 31, 2026
Among the many players involved in the case was former Oregon Basketball guard Takai Simpkins. After starting his career at Elon, Simpkins transferred to Oregon, where he quickly became one of the most important pieces on the roster. Simpkins started 31 games for the Ducks, averaging 12.5 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 35.7% from 3.
The court ruling opens the door for Takai Simpkins to return to college basketball, and considering that he was part of the case, it seems like the most likely outcome. The question for Oregon will be whether there's interest on both ends for the reunion, as Simpkins is currently technically in the Transfer Portal.
Adding Simpkins to the roster would make a ton of sense from a depth perspective as the Ducks could use all the scoring help they can get. The lone issue with adding Simpkins to the roster is that the Ducks have already put together a roster, and adding another guard to the mix could make the backcourt depth very crowded.
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